João Carlos de Sousa[1]
February 21, 2024
Introduction
Portugal’s socio-political landscape in the early 2010s was characterized by the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the widespread use of digital social networks. The period saw unprecedented civic mobilization, resembling international movements such as the Indignados in Spain and Occupy in the USA. In Portugal, movements like “Geração à Rasca” and “Que se Lixe a Troika” reflected a significant period of social conflict, primarily opposing austerity measures.
Simultaneously, the generalization of internet access in Portugal led to the rapid rise of digital social networks worldwide, with Facebook being particularly dominant (76.7%) along with YouTube (23.7%). The years 2010-2013 marked a notable expansion of internet usage and the appropriation of digital social networks, which played a crucial role in disseminating information beyond mere entertainment.
From reinvention to reproduction of civic activism: Portugal’s anti-austerity social movements on Facebook emphasizes that digital social networks are not merely sources of entertainment; they serve as mechanisms for information dissemination and consumption. Recent data (2021) reveals that a substantial percentage of Portuguese users (73%) utilize Facebook, with 47.7% using it to consume news. YouTube and WhatsApp also play significant roles in news consumption.
The convergence of the surge in civic mobilization and the intensification of digital social networks shaped Portugal’s political and social landscape. The text advocates for an interdisciplinary approach, combining data on Facebook interactions with activists’ perceptions to better understand Southern European dynamics, particularly in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. The goal is to contribute to the debate on the role of digital social networks in shaping the public sphere, assessing their potential positive or negative impacts on civic and political participation. This contributes to understanding how collective actors may engage in public discourse post the Covid-19 pandemic.
In essence, the text lays the foundation for a comprehensive exploration of the intricate relationship between political mobilization, the rise of digital social networks, and their subsequent impact on civic and political participation in Portugal.
Characterization and Distinction of Anti-Austerity Civic and Political Activism in Portugal
In Portugal, an European state often characterized by a passive civil society, dissatisfaction with democracy and politics typically manifests through electoral means, such as protest voting or abstention. Over the decades, there has been a substantial increase in party and union activities but a progressive decline in associational life, including volunteering, indicating a deficit in the spontaneity of civic and political mobilization. The preference for institutionalized channels of participation, like voting or political parties and unions, suggests a limited engagement with participation beyond political parties.
The emergence of anti-austerity social movements in Portugal is undeniably connected to events in other countries like Spain, Greece, and the United States. Despite originating in an anti-austerity context, these movements exhibit internal diversity in terms of actors involved and organizational structures. Notably, they often originate from in-person initiatives in the public space, setting them apart from other associative movements. Another distinctive feature is their focus on strictly national issues, unlike their Spanish counterparts.
Typologies and mobilization strategies vary, with unions relying on strikes, activists rallying around specific causes through digital social networks like Facebook, and movements utilizing public spaces for spontaneous protests. The analysis of anti-austerity movements considers identity issues, programmatic orientation, and ideological frameworks. These movements stand out due to the involvement of actors with limited civic and political participation, necessitating an examination of the material and social conditions that influence their operation.
These anti-austerity movements differ from traditional social movements, characterized by professionalism and institutionalization, by emphasizing spontaneity and horizontal organization, with a distinct use of digital social networks both internally and for communication with the community.
Mobilization and Civic and Political Participation on Facebook: Continuities and Disruptions
Understanding new forms of civic mobilization involves examining the role of social media, particularly digital social networks. These tools facilitate communication, interaction, and information circulation, extending beyond platforms like Facebook and Twitter to encompass a complex web of relationships and interactions among various actors.
The conception and appropriation of digital social networks involve power dynamics. The optimistic view highlights their potential to democratize communication, enhance civic and political mobilization, and challenge the historical monopoly of traditional media. However, debates revolve around technological optimism versus dystopia, with considerations of how these platforms are politically and ideologically influenced.
The digital space, including social media, is seen as shaped by particular interests, leading to debates between technological optimists and pessimists. While acknowledging the potential for increased communication and interaction, some argue that the digital realm reflects existing power structures. The socio-political conflict, exacerbated by austerity measures, aligns with the increased digitization of the media ecosystem, allowing citizens to mobilize against austerity measures through various online channels.
The study posits two hypotheses: that activists within these movements engage in deliberative and horizontally informal practices on Facebook, and that followers participate informally and spontaneously, following a predominantly horizontal communicative and interactional logic with activists.
Methodology
Selection of Social Movements
During a period of heightened social and political conflict in Portugal, civic activity transcended institutional politics, coinciding with the widespread adoption of Facebook among the Portuguese population. The selection criteria for the eight movements under analysis focused on those gaining media attention during this period and encompassing diverse stances and themes. Movements like “Que se Lixe a Troika” and “Indignados Lisboa,” known for their roles, were chosen alongside others like “RiseUp Portugal,” addressing environmental sustainability, and “Democracia e Dívida,” central to the debt crisis. The selection also included “Artigo 21º,” advocating for the revision of the national educational system’s foundational law, and “FLAN Colectivo,” known for visually impactful actions and political caricatures. Movements like “O Povo é Quem mais Ordena” and “15 Outubro,” born from protests, were chosen based on their Facebook followership, becoming prominent actors in times of social and political tension.
This resulted in a set of eight movements representing various programmatic lines and action scopes within the relatively limited circle of Portuguese social and political activism. Notably, all eight movements originated on Facebook within a span of approximately a year and a half, from July 2011 to April 2013, indicative of the social and political dynamism of that period. Each movement boasts a follower count exceeding a thousand, with some, like “RiseUp Portugal,” amassing over a hundred thousand likes and followers.
Facebook Page Content Analysis Model
The content analysis of Facebook pages involves two dimensions: “Debate Dynamism” and “Initiative and Proactivity of Followers.” The former assesses communication and interaction strategies of activists within each movement, while the latter measures the level of participation and mobilization of movement followers on their respective Facebook pages. Both dimensions are operationalized by five indicators, ranked based on their complexity, resulting in a weighted scoring system.
Debate Dynamism – Correspondence Channels: Assesses the availability of alternative communication channels beyond Facebook, such as email, postal address, or a dedicated website/platform. Notes Section: Evaluates the usage of the Facebook Notes feature for programmatic discussions, considering activation, recent updates, and ideation exchange among activists. Post Framing Complexity: Examines substantive qualities, including external links, argumentation, and originality in the framing of movement posts. Page and Follower Comments: Considers the existence of comments by activists on posts, follower comments on posts, and comments in the notes section. Private Messaging Correspondence: Tests private messaging between followers and movements, evaluating the response’s exclusivity, response time, and relevance to the initial message.
Initiative and Proactivity of Followers – Follower Count: Categorizes follower numbers into three ranges: <1000, ]1000-5000], >5000. Follower Posts and Comments: Examines the existence of posts and comments by followers, including posts in the notes section and comments on movement posts. Visual Elements Usage: Assesses the use of visual elements like photos, videos, and graphics in follower posts, comments, and shared content. Dominant Tone of Follower Content: Considers whether follower comments and posts primarily express support for the movement in various contexts. Argumentative Complexity of Follower Posts: Observes the exposition and argumentation skills in follower posts, differentiating between those without framing, those with descriptive framing, and those with argumentative framing.
This weighted model allows for a nuanced analysis, facilitating the comparison of movements and providing insights into the dynamics of engagement and communication within the Facebook pages of each movement. The coding and data processing were exclusively conducted by the researcher to ensure data reliability, eliminating the need for the Krippendorff alpha test.
Interview
The semistructured interviews aimed to capture the perceptions and actions of actors involved in the political and communicative processes of the studied movements, specifically how they perceive their own actions and those of their Facebook page followers. Conducted in Lisbon, these in-person interviews allowed for a nuanced exploration of potentially sensitive topics, such as conflicts among activists, fostering a comprehensive understanding. The research focuses on qualitative descriptions and interpretations, employing a 20-question interview guide.
Interview circumstances, involved public yet discreet locations in Lisbon, negotiated for convenience and comfort. Anonymity was ensured for the movement representatives. All six interviews were transcribed entirely to minimize bias in interpreting activists’ words. Initial contacts were made through Facebook messages, and the interviews, occurring between July 29 and September 6, spanned approximately one month, resulting in six hours of fully transcribed audio recordings.
The interviews, with durations ranging from nearly 29 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour and 53 minutes, provided valuable insights into activists’ perspectives, movement strategies, and interactions with followers. Despite multiple attempts, contact and interviews with FLAN Colectivo and Artigo 21º could not be established.
The synergy between interviews and content analysis follows a complementary approach, offering a comprehensive understanding of complex and multidimensional phenomena. Activists’ opinions shed light on movement dynamics, communication strategies, and their perception of engagement with followers. Content analysis, on the other hand, provides a quantitative and objective portrayal of digital practices shaping the Facebook debates within the eight movements. Together, interviews and content analysis contribute to a comprehensive depiction of the Facebook debate within the anti-austerity social movements.
Results
This section discusses the results of the interviews conducted with activists from eight social and political movements in Portugal, focusing on their use of Facebook. Six of the eight planned interviews were carried out. The average age of the interviewees was 41, with the youngest activist being 29 and the oldest 66. Most interviewees had a higher education degree, and four were unemployed, reflecting the impact of the recent economic crisis in Portugal.
The importance of Facebook in these movements is highlighted, with some movements originating directly on the platform. The advantages of using Facebook include communication, interaction, and facilitation of activities. The text presents data on the number of posts analyzed between June 5 and 11, 2013, with the “15 Outubro” movement being the most active during that period.
The analysis included the representation of the number of messages, the dynamics of the debate and the initiative of the followers. The movements’ perception of follower participation on Facebook is discussed, ranging from acknowledging its importance to expressing frustration with certain behaviors. The text concludes with an assessment of the movements based on the analysis of these dimensions, revealing variations in their use and engagement on Facebook. The movements are ranked based on their scores, with “Democracia e Dívida” achieving the highest total points, followed by “RiseUp Portugal” and “Indignados Lisboa.” The study suggests that the model used can distinguish different levels of complexity in the use and appropriation of Facebook, potentially leading to digital inequalities among movements.
Conclusions
The conclusions emphasize the importance of social movements as collective actors in social and political change, enabling the advancement of scientific knowledge in this field and the impact that social networks, and Facebook in particular, have on the sphere of civil society and political institutions. The research contributes to understanding how social movements appropriate digital social networks, providing an adaptable and replicable model applicable beyond the current context, such as in electoral campaigns. It is suggested that further research is needed, especially in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic and beyond specific trigger events.
In this way, it can be emphasized that times of crisis are opportunities to try new approaches. The mobilization during the broader sovereign debt crisis in Portugal demonstrated a departure of citizens from institutional mechanisms of civic and political participation, with digital social networks playing a significant role. The findings reveal a shift from passivity to proactivity among citizens/activists, engaging in deliberative practices. However, Facebook followers, while participatory, present a less complex and limited involvement. Essentially, the anti-austerity social movements serve as an insightful observation of the inequalities of participation in the contemporary digital public sphere, reproducing the traditional dynamics of top-down communication and interaction.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Boletim Lua Nova and/or CEDEC.
[1] PhD student in Communication Sciences (Iscte-IUL). He has a degree and a master’s in Sociology. Institutional Profile: https://ciencia.iscte-iul.pt/authors/joao-carlos-lopes-de-sousa/cv
Source: One of the two frontal banners during the pt:Geração à rasca rally, in 12 March 2011, at Avenida da Liberdade, Lisboa, Portugal. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Gera%C3%A7%C3%A3o_%C3%A0_Rasca%22_Banner.jpg. Access at Feb 03, 2024.
